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Cortney Jordan swam to a world record in the women's S7 1500 meter freestyle on Friday.

EDMONTON, Alberta – Team USA’s women rewrote the record books during the first day of competition on Friday at the 2013 Can-Am Para-Swimming Championships Edmonton, Alberta.

Eight-time Paralympic medalist Cortney Jordan (Henderson, Nev.) slashed nearly 40 seconds off the world record in the women’s S7 1500-meter freestyle. Jordan’s time of 21:23.11 improved her own world record of 22:21.16 that she set in in the same pool in 2009.

“It was remarkable to break the world record in the 1500,” Jordan said. “I recently moved out to Baltimore to train with Brian Loeffler, and we were using this meet to gauge how training was going, so I couldn’t be happier with the result.”

Jordan also set a Pan-American area record as she won the 200m backstroke final (3:03.00). In the 50m butterfly, she first set a personal best of 39.12 in the prelims, and went on to lower that mark to 37.49 to win the finals.

Kayla Wheeler (Lynnwood, Wash.) added a new entry to the history books as she improved her own world record in the women’s S2 50m butterfly. Wheeler bettered her previous world record from September by more than two and a half seconds as she finished in a time of 1:43.18. Wheeler also took top honors in the 100m freestyle as she won in 3:00.24.

Lizzy Smith (Muncie, Ind.) outpaced the field in the women’s S9 50m butterfly. Smith gapped her closest competitor by more than five seconds. Smith’s time of 31.99 was also good enough to add her name to the record books as a new American record-holder.

Team USA athletes winning Can-Am titles

Haley Beranbaum, women’s S5 50m butterfly, 55.40

McKenzie Coan, women’s S8 1500m freestyle, 21:23.11

Cailin Currie, women’s S13 50m butterfly, 34.74

Ryan Duemler, men’s S8 1500m freestyle, 18:57.85

Ryan Duemler, men’s S8 100m breaststroke, 1:31.64

Tucker Dupree, men’s 100m freestyle, 58.67

Tucker Dupree, men’s 50m butterfly, 27.58

Alyssa Gialamas, women’s S5 200m backstroke, 3:58.62

Alyssa Gialamas, women’s S5 100m freestyle, 1:36.15

Robert Griswold, men’s S9 200m backstroke, 2:24.76

Cortney Jordan, women’s S7 200m backstroke, 3:03.00

Cortney Jordan, women’s S7 1500m freestyle, 21:23.11

Cortney Jordan, women’s S7 50m butterfly, 37.49

Curtis Lovejoy, men’s S2 100m freestyle, 2:49.93

Letticia Martinez, women’s S11 100m freestyle, 1:17.32

Letticia Martinez, women’s S11 100m breaststroke, 1:38.28

Martha Ruether, women’s S13 100m freestyle, 1:05.27

Natalie Sims, women’s S9 100m freestyle, 1:08.55

Leanne Smith, women’s S7 100m freestyle, 1:17.37

Lizzy Smith, women’s S9 50m butterfly, 31.99

Breanna Sprenger, women’s S1 100m freestyle, 4:35.41

Kayla Wheeler, women’s S2 100m freestyle, 3:00.24

Kayla Wheeler, women’s S2 50m butterfly, 1:43.18

Colleen Young, women’s S13 200m backstroke, 2:43.19

Colleen Young, women’s S13 100m breaststroke, 1:24.83

The 2013 Can-Am Para Swimming Championships run through Sunday, Dec. 17 and feature more than 100 athletes from five countries. Live results are available at Swimming.ca.